Help me save my courgettes please!
Mel Mcbride
Posts: 112
Hi, my courgettes are soft and thin near the flower end, and over-sizing at the butt end. Been told it might be calcium deficiency, but want to check before I do anything. There is NO rot. I've not had any probs with the leaves or rest of the plant. It's reading a ph just under 7.
The garden centre weren't very helpful. They didn't know which of the products had calcium in "for sure". I've bought two types, - HOnestly I could have just burst into tears in the shop.. I really thought they'd be helpful.. I left feeling more confused 
I've been using Tomato feed the whole time on the courgette, so that won't fix it. The new two I have tried yet are these:
The verve one has, ammoniacal nitrogen, phosphorus pentoxide (P2/05), soluble in neutral ammonium citrate and water, potassium oxide (K20) Which mean nothing to me at all.
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Pulling the flowers off once the courgette starts to form can help prevent rot from the flower end. Leaving a soggy flower attached to the fruit is not good for it
THanks!
There's no signs of rot yet fleurisa. But, the flowers are dying off when the fruit is not even half grown. Not sure if that's normal or not. They're in a poly tunnel, if that makes any difference? This is my first year growing them.
the flowers die as soon as the pollinating window has passed
If you find a male flower shove it into the female flower to aid pollination, are you getting many insects inside your polytunnel?
Well this is the big annoyance about them, I have to open up both ends, which makes all the extra heat fly out.. There's a LOT less spiders than the greenhouse and more space.. but the windows in it are netted.. It's not a very well thought out design to be honest with you.
I'm going to use the paintbrush like you said.. they're all closed tightly shut just now. I'll have to get them early in the morning. Since I chopped those three off to photograph the leaves have curled up.. just gave it a drink, hopefully it will cheer up in 20 minutes or so.
Those chemicals you mention are usually shortened to NPK which are the normal chemicals in fertilizer.
I would also think it is incomplete pollination. Male flowers plus female flowers plus insects all have to be in sync. When they are you will be overwhelmed with courgettes.
No courgettes ?
enjoy
Mel. Don't freak out yet! I doubt it is a feeding problem. Maybe erratic watering? I feel it might just fix itself in time. Wait till the plants get into their stride.